Kitchen makeover combines glitz with contemporary

Derrick and Anita have lived in their home for four years. They finally saved up enough money to start renovating, and first on their list was the kitchen.

By Candice OlsonScripps Howard News Service

Derrick and Anita have lived in their home for four years. They finally saved up enough money to start renovating, and first on their list was the kitchen. They wanted to scrap everything about the massive, industrial-style kitchen with its fluorescent lighting, dysfunctional layout and 1980s look. Who could blame them? This kitchen was cold and more suited to an industrial park or a factory, rather than a warm and inviting home.But Derrick and Anita had very different ideas about how to renovate this space. He is all about elegance, glitz and glam — think Palace of Versailles. On the other hand, she likes contemporary, clean lines — think an elegant and modern hotel lobby. As you can see, our challenge was all about cooking up a creative plan that would merge two conflicting styles into one perfect kitchen.This space was absolutely huge, so I created a plan that sectioned off the room into three distinct zones: cooking and food prep, a dining area and an after-dinner lounge.Then I placed a pantry with lots of storage between the dining-room doors. A built-in stainless-steel microwave and oven were stacked and built into simple white cabinetry finished off with elegant round crystal knobs, to add just a touch of sparkle.A new fridge-freezer unit sits concealed behind more cabinetry doors, and an elegant black quartz countertop wraps around the remainder of the food-prep area.Our choice for the backsplash had to be just right — glitzy enough to suit Derrick, but without going overboard for Anita's tastes. We found the perfect solution — an iridescent black mosaic tile that is truly elegant in an understated way.A new stainless-steel sink and drainboard are topped by an elegant gooseneck faucet, and striped fabric valances crown both of the room's windows. In the center of this area sits an island prep station, complete with a white, gray and black quartz countertop and dark cabinetry with more storage space.A built-in cooktop placed in front of the side window allows the cook to gaze outside while creating a culinary masterpiece. The cooktop has a pop-up venting system that is easily concealed and makes the placement in front of the window possible.Moving into the dining "zone," a spacious built-in display case constructed from the same dark cabinetry as the island features a mirrored back and glass shelves. It's the perfect place to showcase dishes and other special items. Jutting out from this hutch is a counter-height peninsula-style table, topped by the same lighter quartz we used on the island. Four studded leather stools provide comfortable seating for dinner — but Derrick and Anita won't be sitting there for too long after they finish dessert, because then it will be time to move on to the kitchen lounge.Yes, you read that correctly! This kitchen is so big that there was room to create an intimate lounge for two with a couple of comfortable upholstered chairs, a round white table with clean, flowing lines, and a wall-mounted television.Recessed lighting brightens the overall space, but the two gold-and-crystal chandeliers we positioned over the island prep area and the table really pop out as design features. They provide just the right touch of unexpected elegance, and we repeated the theme with two matching wall sconces on either side of the TV. The wall behind the lounge area was covered in a striking, black-on-black damask patterned wallpaper to further differentiate this space from the rest of the kitchen, while still carrying over the same color palette.So Derrick got his glamour fix, while Anita loved the clean lines repeated in the cabinetry and other design features. In fact, you could say that this modern-day twist on a traditional French style was definitely a hit with the king and queen of this castle.Interior decorator Candice Olson is host of HGTV's "Candice Tells All.'' For more ideas, information and show times visit www.HGTV.com.